There are plenty of jokes about how marriage will end your life -- but the science says that the union is actually good for health.

Most people dream about the day they’ll be married, whether it’s in the near or distant future, but if you haven’t been making it a priority, you might consider it. Research shows that being married is actually good for your health.

“There is fascinating — and compelling — research suggesting that married people enjoy better health than single people,” says Robert H. Shmerling, MD at Harvard Medical School, pointing out some of the many exciting health benefits of being married.

If you’re in a committed relationship, now more than ever, you should be thinking about choosing an incredible vintage engagement ring to seal the deal on lifelong happiness.

Reduced Stress Levels

Stress is a chronic problem for adults; more than three quarters report feeling stressed on a regular basis, and it can often come with unpleasant side effects like high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes. There are many treatments for chronic stress, and marriage seems to be one of them, according to studies.

“Although marriage can be pretty stressful, it should make it easier for people to handle other stressors in their lives,” said Dario Maestripieri, Professor in Comparative Human Development at the University of Chicago and lead author of a study on marriage and health. “What we found is that marriage has a dampening effect on cortisol responses to psychological stress and can therefore act as a buffer against stress.”

So, even when you’re dealing with disagreements, you still enjoy less stress when you have a partner by your side.

Safer Sexual Behavior

According to the CDC, 20 million new sexually transmitted diseases and infections occur each year. Unsafe sexual practices are usually the cause of these diseases, and it’s easily preventable.

Those in a committed marriage tend to avoid promiscuous sexual behavior that can cause problems down the road. You’re significantly less likely to contract a sexually-transmitted disease from a lifelong partner.

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Lower Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women, and marriage may be the best medicine, particularly for men. A study in the Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine reveals that married men were almost half as likely as single men to die within ten years of being diagnosed with heart disease.

“There is something in a good relationship that helps people stay on track” says Kathleen King, professor emerita from the School of Nursing at the University of Rochester and lead author on the paper. “Coronary bypass surgery was once seen as a miracle cure for heart disease,” says King. “But now we know that for most patients, grafts are a temporary patch, even more susceptible to clogging and disease than native arteries. So, it’s important to look at the conditions that allow some patients to beat the odds.”

Higher Survival Rates for Health Problems

Severe health problems including stroke, cancer, heart disease, and other serious illnesses often come on suddenly. Many times, they require serious surgeries and other rigorous treatment.

For those undergoing treatment, the survival rates tend to be significantly higher. Sometimes, battling health problems is as much mental as it is physical. Studies have shown that patients who have a spouse are 14 percent more likely to survive serious illnesses than singles.

Fewer Signs of Aging

People often joke about how married men and women tend to “let themselves go” after tying the knot. However, the opposite is usually true; a happy marriage can help you look and feel much younger.

There have been strong links in scientific studies between happy marriages and fewer signs of aging. You’ll have fewer grey hairs and wrinkles and more energy and vitality for life.

Better Mental and Emotional Health

“Our nervous systems are not separate or self-contained; beginning in earliest childhood, the areas of our brain identified as the limbic system (hippocampus, amygdala, anterior thalamic nuclei, and limbic cortex) is affected by those closest to us (limbic resonance) and synchronizes with them (limbic regulation) in a way that has profound implications for personality and lifelong emotional health,” according to the bookA General Theory of Love, published by a trio of well-known psychiatric professors. This book goes on to discuss the strong evidence of marriage on the psyche.

Famously, those who are married and stay that way tend to enjoy greater happiness and a reduced risk for debilitating depression and anxiety. Having a committed life partner who cares about your emotional needs is essential in beating the odds of mental illness, according to studies.

Longer Life Expectancy

When added together, these many health benefits obviously point to a longer life expectancy. As you stave off various mental and physical health problems through your happy union, you’ll prolong your life and enjoy that connection for longer.